1 Najdorf Sicilian will try to keep full control over the d5 Focus on the Critical d5 Squar square, and try to maintain the possibility of placing and keeping a piece One the most common openings in the on d5. Fully controlling the d5 square past 50 years is the Najdorf variation of allows white to affect both sides of the the Sicilian Defense. The Najdorf offers board. In order to assure that control, many different possibilities, starting from white wants to trade off black pieces extremely sharp, poison pawn variation that can control d5. For example, he (1. e4, c5 2. nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 wants to play with Bg5, in order to trade Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 e6 7. f4 Qb6 8. off the Knight on f6. He also will Qd2 Qxb2! ) to extremely positional lines increase the number of his own pieces (1. e4, c5 2. nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 that can control d5, with maneuvers like Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Be2 e5 7. Nb3 ... ) bishop to c4, then b3, and the knight on Somewhere between those two lines is f3 going to d2-c4-e3. It seems that white the following position, which I will try to has full control of the situation. So why explain. 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 does black choose to create this pawn 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 e5 7.Nf3 structure? The answer is because this is Diagram one of the rare Sicilian pawn structures abcdef gh that gives the black side a slight space advantage. So what is black's goal? 8 8 Black will try to control d5 with pieces as 7 7 much as he can, along with two possible ideas. One is to not allow white to keep 6 6 a piece on d5. If white has to recapture 5 5 on d5 with the e4 pawn, then the pressure down the d file vanishes. This 4 4 pawn structure we can judge as playable 3 3 for both sides, and the result of the game will result in who plays better 2 2 chess. The second, and better plan for 1 1 black is to be able to push the d pawn to abcdef gh d5. That move (d6-d5) played at the right moment usually allows a strong initiative for black. Qc7 The main idea of If we look deeply at this pawn structure, this move is that black prevents the we can agree that black has a backward white bishop from coming to c4. (where it d6 pawn that can come under attack can help control d5) Other possibilities from white's minor and major pieces on in this position are: the d file, at some point in the future. He 7...b5 trying to put the bishop on b7 to also has a "weak" d5 square, that no help control d5.; black pawn can control. What is the 7...h6 to prevent the removal of the strategical battle in this position? White Knight on f6.; 2 7...Be6 like b5, to increase control of d5.; it in the end.) (Bologan - Safarli, Regglio 7...Be7 is a main line. Its a flexible line Emilia 2010) 14.b4 Nb3 15.Nd5 Nxd5 which doesn't declare black's plan on (Perhaps better is: 15...Bxd5 16.cxb3 how he will try to control d5. 8.a4 Be7 Be6 17.Bb6 Qc3 18.Bxd8 Rxd8 19.b5 [8...Be6 Kamsky - Kovacevic, Plovdiv axb5 20.Qe2 d5 and black could have 2010; An interesting game in which excellent compensation for white black tried to play d5-d6 without proper material advantage.) 16.exd5 Nxa1 17. preparation. 9.a5 Qc6 an extra piece to dxe6 d5 18.exf7+ Kf8 (18...Kxf7 19.Qxa1 support the move d5 10.Ng5 Nbd7 11. d4 20.Qa2+ Kf8 21.Bh5 g6 22.Bh6+) 19. Ra4! since d5 is unstoppable, white Qxa1 d4 20.Ne4 dxe3 21.fxe3 With wants to have his rook active across the excellent compensation, and great 4th rank. 11...d5 12.exd5 Bxd5 13.Nxd5 initiave for white.] 12.axb6 Nxb6 13.Nd2 Nxd5 14.Qf3 N7f6 (14...Qxa4 15.Qxf7+ a5! does not allow the maneuver Nb3- Kd8 16.Ne6+ Kc8 17.Qe8#) 15.Rc4 Qd7 Na5, and taking space on the queenside. 16.Bd3 Bb4+ 17.Ke2! Nxe3 18.fxe3! full 14.Bxb6 [Possibly better is 14.Nb5 Qb7 control of the d4 and f4 square. The rook, again, controlling d5. 15.c4 Bd7 16.Nc3 queen, knight, and bishop fully control a4 17.Qc2 Rfc8 18.Qd3 Bc6 with an all the important light squres. 18...Bxa5 unclear position. In the main game, the 19.Rc5 Bb4 20.Rxe5+ Be7 21.Rf1 Qc7 move Bxb6 is clearly an attempt by white 22.Qf5 Rd8 23.Rf4 Qd7 24.Rd4 Qc7? to draw.] Qxb6 15.Nc4 Qc5 16.Nd5 Qc8 is the only move. 25.Rde4 Rd7 26. Nxd5 17.Qxd5 Qxd5 18.exd5 Ba6 Rxe7+ Rxe7 27.Rc4 With the rook 19.Rfe1 Bxc4 20.Bxc4 Diagram coming to c8, white is easily winning.] abcdef gh 9.a5 The main move, to take space on the queenside. Nbd7 10.Be2 0-0 8 8 11.0-0 b5! In my opinion this is 7 7 absolutely the best move. [Possible is 11...Nc5, Statistics say black has a good 6 6 result percentage wise here. However, I 5 5 very much doubt this can be a good move. It does not fight for the d5 square! 4 4 Regardless of the database, I do not 3 3 believe it can be good. 12.Nd2 Be6 13. Bf3 preventing d6-d5 13...Rfd8 (Sixty 2 2 four years ago, this was played. Tolush - 1 1 Bronstein Parma 1947 13...Rac8 14.Qe2 abcdef gh h6 15.Rfd1 Qc6 16.Ra3! Keeping the knight on c3. 16...Rfe8 17.Rc1 Bf8 18.b4 Ncd7 19.Qd3 Qc7 20.Nd5 Bxd5 21.exd5 This position is very interesting. It Qd8 22.c4 Qe7 23.Qb1 e4 24.Be2 With seems to be absolutely equal (it probably the better position for white. In this game, is), material is equal and opposite the legendary Bronstein managed to win colored bishops are left on the board. 3 But.... black has an excellent pawn set abcdef gh up, that allows him the chance to play for a win. Why? If the black bishop comes to 8 8 c5, he will threaten the white kingside, 7 7 while helping white's a5 and d6 pawns keep back white's b, c and d pawns. So 6 6 material will be equal, but black's 4 5 5 versus 3 pawns on the kingside will have chances to advance. This could 4 4 create pressure on the king, or create 3 3 pawn weaknesses that could be exploited. Rfc8 21.b3 Bd8! on his way 2 2 to c5 22.Ra4 f5 23.f3 Kf7! 24.Kf1 Kf6 1 1 Black's King is much more centralized abcdef gh than Whites. 25.Ke2 Rc5 26.Kd3 Rac8 27.Re2 Bb6 Black slowly has improved his pieces to their ideal position, and 47.Rd1 Bxc3+ 48.Ke6 Rg7 49.Kd5 now is ready to play with the kingside White Resigned. pawns. 28.Ra1 h5 29.Rf1 R5c7! 0-1 The bishop's diagonal is open, and the rooks are positioned to be flexible. 30.Ra1 g6 using one of the main principals of the endgame. DON'T HURRY! 31.Ra2 Rc5 32.Ra4 g5 33.h3 Rg8 34.Ra1 g4 35.hxg4 hxg4 36.Rh1 Kg5! The black king penetrates to attack on the weak dark squares, and goes after the pawns on f3 and g2. 37.Kd2 a4 possibly creating a passed pawn. 38.fxg4 Kxg4 39.Rh6 Ba5+ 40.Kd3 e4+ 41.Kd4 a3! Diagram (Diagram) As you can see, the white pieces are passive, and without any active coordination. Black's pieces are all active and threatening something. 42.c3 Bb6 43.Rxd6 a2 44.Re1 Rc6+ 45.Ke5 Bf2! the winning move. Black's passed a pawn is unstoppable because the King on e5 is misplaced. 46.dxc6 Bxe1.